This invention relates to a combination scale configured to weigh and discharge a predetermined quantity of articles including various kinds of foodstuffs.
Conventionally, combination scales, a typical example of which is described in the patent literature 1, may be structurally and technically characterized as below. The combination scale has, in an upper part of its center base, a dispersing feeder configured to radially disperse and deliver articles received from a device upward, and a plurality of linear feeders configured to deliver outwardly the articles dispersed in and delivered from the dispersing feeder. The combination scale further includes hoppers disposed circumferentially around the center base; a plurality of feeding hoppers, a plurality of weighing hoppers, and a plurality of memory hoppers. The feeding hoppers hold the articles received from the linear feeders and open their gates to discharge the articles downward. The weighing hoppers hold and weigh the articles discharged from the feeding hoppers and open their gates to discharge the articles downward. The memory hoppers hold the articles discharged from the weighing hoppers and open their gates to discharge the articles downward. All of the hoppers may be removably mountable to the center base.
Such a combination scale executes combinatorial computations based on weights of the articles held in the weighing hoppers and weights of the articles held in the memory hoppers to select a combination of hoppers containing the articles of a total weight that falls within a predetermined range of weights. The combination scale then opens the gates of the selected hoppers to discharge the articles. The discharged articles are thrown into collecting chutes and then into collecting funnels to be collected on a central side of the center base. The collected articles are finally guided to and thrown into a packaging machine.
Among the prior art is PCT domestic re-publication WO 2006/057164.